A Vampire's Buffet
by The Vampire Avatar
Summary: Darren has a disease that makes him almost immune to a vampire drinking his blood called anemia. Despite being a half vampire though, his human side suffers the consequence without medicine and almost dies if it weren't for his mentor being over protective.


Darren Shan was a normal kid. He had three good friends he played soccer everyday at school with, got good grades and managed to be a good child to his parents up until one spooky night that would change his life forever.

He was in his bed, trying to sleep his troubles away. He had had a long day, full of reading about spiders, playing soccer, messing around with his little sister, Annie. Darren had also learned in school how to start finding the area of shapes. He hated learning about math, but it was better than the doctor appointments he had to go to occasionally. Well, more than occasionally. More like once or twice a month to make sure he wasn't going to die soon.

Darren's parents were a bit worried his life was jeopardized since the moment the word "anemia" left the lips of the doctor they turned to when Darren had started to show symptoms at the age of two. He was born with it, his parents both gave him the right gene code for it and bam, instant sick child oh no, poor baby, we have to protect him from all the scary bad things in the world because he wasn't able to take care of himself.

Needless to say, the eleven year old was growing very tired of it and was beginning to drift from his parents. They thought it was just because he was going into the teenage years, but no. They never understand his words, just his condition. That's why he was still awake in his bed, not being able to sleep at all for the last few hours, he was so angry with the way that things were going so far he was beginning to think that his parents cared more about the condition than he himself.

It was when he was about to get up and go straight to his parents room for a heart to heart when his window creaked open on its own. Darren, the curious boy he was, slowly peered over his body to see a larger body in the window frame. At first he thought it was a monster, there to take away his soul, by the way it looked. It was mostly red, with wings behind it, flapping in the wind. It had long, bony limbs that extended to form claws at the end of it. The monster also had a huge head, one that looked like a long cylinder than anything else, and worst of all was the orange below its head.

Darren would've screamed, if not the monster clumsily falling out of his window into his room with a dull thud. The "monster" grumbled and hissed at the floor, muttering about how awful the landing was and how he knew it shouldn't have been that easy. It stood up to reveal that it wasn't a monster, though ugly as one, but a man. He had a long jagged scar running down his face, a dirty red suit he was wearing, it came with the cape, and his hat was on the floor right next to him, revealing the crop of orange hair on the man's head.

The child would've felt silly if the man wasn't staring right at him with a dumbfounded expression. Darren was focusing on it so much he barely heard the man speaking to him.

"Are you not scared?" The man's voice was low, stern sounding, and was tinted with an accent from somewhere.

"U-uh…" Darren stuttered out. Now that he thought about it, he had plenty of reason to be, a man just flew through his window in the middle of the night wearing a freaky costume!

"Darren?" A woman's voice called up to his room from somewhere downstairs. "Are you okay? Do you need me to call Doctor Jones?"

"I'm fine, mom! I just fell out of bed," the boy called back in a much more confident voice than he felt.

After a moment, the quiet returned and the man was still watching the boy cower in his bed.

"Why are you not asleep?" The man spoke again. "I thought all little boys were at this time of night." The man stepped closer to him and narrowed his eyes. "I am going to have to knock you out."

"No! No, wait, please, don't hurt me!" The child scrambled back into his bed, pulling the sheet above him, effectively hiding the man from sight.

It was a moment before anything happened. The man stepped back and Darren heard a sigh from under his sheet.

"I doubt your blood would be very useful to me like that. I do not like to drink a little boy's blood anyway, let alone a coward's."

Darren peeked out from under his sheet. "Coward? Blood?"

The man nodded. "Yes, child, I was going to drink your blood but seeing as how you hide under your blanket I do not think I will bother." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Well, what do you expect from me?" Darren's heart was beating so fast he was able to feel it in his teeth. He prayed the man wasn't able to hear it. "You come into my room with no warning, through the window, and say you want to knock me out and drink my blood!"

"It would not hurt even if I did." The man seemed to be a little amused by the boy's reaction to all of this. "You would feel nothing."

Darren glared at him from his position, no longer hiding beneath his blanket, "Why do you want to drink my blood, anyway?"

The man laughed for a second, clearly very amused now, "Have you not figured it out yet? I am a vampire!"

It was Darren's turn again to be confused. "A vampire?"

"Yes."

"But….you don't want to drink my blood." Darren answered.

"Oh here we go," the man groaned. "It is always the same if I do not put my victims under. All the excuses, all the pleading."

"But you really don't," he sighed and looked down at the carpet. "I have anemia."

The man blinked. "Aunt Mia?"

"No," the boy almost laughed cruelly. "It's a blood condition. To put it simply for a vampire," he sneered with an amused expression. "I don't have very many healthy red blood cells. And all the others break apart really easily."

The man stared at the child unevenly, as if he were almost scared that he would catch this disease. "How do you live if you do not have good blood?"

"Well, I take medicine and go to the doctor." The boy had to bite his tongue to refrain from saying "duh" at the end.

The vampire watched him curiously. "What is your name?"

"Da-...uh," The boy stopped himself from revealing his true identity. "Drake. My name's Drake."

"Drake?" The vampire repeated slowly.

"Yep," Darren smiled. "Drake Smith."

The vampire blinked, picked up his hat and turned to the window. "I think I will take my blood seeking to a different residence, Master Smith. Perhaps I can find a man walking home somewhere." He began to clamber out of the window again, paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Darren?"

The boy paled.

"You are a horrible liar." The vampire leaped from the window and by the time Darren was able to get over to look out, he was gone.

Fast forward to a few months later, at the Cirque du Freak. Steve had been talking to the man from Darren's bedroom from a while back. The man looked up at him, but he didn't seem to spot Darren from his hiding place. This time he was actually able to hide from the man. Though he was hidden from sight and he was safe for the time being, he was shaking like a leaf on a stormy night and heart was pounding. But that didn't stop him from stealing a spider, nor the spider biting Steve, and him going back to Mr. Crepsley, as he learned his name, for help.

He became a half vampire, they faked his death, and Darren soon found that while the vampire blood did in fact help him out, he was still only half vampire. He would wake up some mornings and just be sick all day, too weak from either pain or fatigue to do much of anything else. His mentor and friends would bring him what he needed, a fresh trashcan, some water or blood if he was able to keep it down, or they would simply let him rest.

Eventually, Mr. Cresley pointed out that while he was doing well, drinking enough blood, he was beginning to look more pale than he did when he almost died trying to prove he was still human. Paling wasn't the only side effect of what was happening to his body either; Darren's eyes began to darken around so much people began to ask if he had gotten into a fight with somebody. His body was so tired all the time he began to just stumble along to walk. He was beginning to be called zombie out of good humor by other campers until they realized what was happening.

Darren was dying.

Though his mentor was very good with hiding his feelings, (almost too good at it, the stubborn old bat) Darren could very clearly see the worry and stress lines forming on his forehead while he sat next to Darren, watching him throw up all the blood from the last week. He hadn't eaten anything within the last three days, he just couldn't handle anything or keep it down. Darren was surviving only because of the vampire side of him, and even that was beginning to fail.

Mr. Crepsley could only watch.

They didn't bring any medicine for him, he didn't even think of doing such a thing when he had taken on the new apprentice. There were a few human friends of his that were doctors, but they were a few days worth of travel and he wasn't sure if Darren would live long enough for that.

The third night, he had decided that he would have to chance it. If Darren were to survive, he would need to go get medicine from his friends. Eventually, when Darren was better, he would bring him too, but until then, he would stay in the camp grounds where Mr. Tall could watch him. (Mr. Tall wouldn't say whether or not he would survive, but he would watch over him and do his best, that was good enough for the orange haired vampire any day.)

Mr. Crepsley put a hand on his young apprentice's face and sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Darren began to stir and the vampire took away his hand quickly, almost as if he were afraid for anybody to know about how he truly felt. Almost like he didn't want to lose another person due to his feelings.

"Mr. Crepsley?" Darren slurred out sleepily.

"Yes, Darren. I am afraid I have to leave for a while." The vampire gave the young boy on the hammock a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

The mentor sighed. "You will be okay for the next two days?"

"Of course I will, Mr. Crepsley." Darren began to awaken more. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to see a friend for some medicine for you. I will be taking my leave in a minute, I just wanted to say goodbye before I left."

"Okay. When you get back can you tell me how you knew my name?" Darren almost looked amused. I could never figure it out." The boy smiled weakly, looking like he was going to die very soon.

"When I get back you can."

"But that's too long," he groaned. "Tell me now."

"You will be patient and wait for your mentor," Mr. Crepsley sighed. "Rude brat."

"Fine then, see you soon, grouchy bat. When you get back I'll be waiting for that answer, just you watch."

"Yes, that would be something."

The vampire smiled slightly at him and turned around, trying to ignore the fact that even after being turned into a half vampire two years ago, Darren was still a horrible liar.

It had taken about a day and a half for the vampire to return back with the medicine. He didn't want to risk Darren's life by traveling only by night, so he would run until he was sure that he was going to have burn marks all over his face for weeks into the day and leave when the sun was still out.

He had caught up with the old friend just as she was leaving her office where she practiced medicine. She had grown older than last seeing her, her hair turning gray and shining in the moonlight diligently. He moved in for a closer look at her, she had wrinkles over her skin and her hands were beginning to shake slightly. He winced inwardly, he hated how fast humans age. It was just too heartbreaking for him. Before he could get involved with the past again, he moved forward and scared her when he spoke.

"I need your help," Larten said to the woman. "My apprentice had a disease he is dying from and I require medicine to cure him."

The old woman, pushing over seventy, looked at him in shock with a hand over her heart. "Larten, the vampire what did I say about scaring me!" She smiled at him before blinking in confusion, "I didn't expect you to take on an apprentice again after-"

"Yes, yes, I know, but I did and he is dying. Please, he is in danger and I must hurry back."

The aging woman paused and sighed deeply. "Alright. I'll help you. Come on in, I'll get you what you need." The two went back into her shop after she unlocked it and she showed him into the back where rows upon rows of medicine were stacked. "Do you know what he has?"

"Aunt Mia," he answered after a second. "I believe that was what he called it when he told me."

"Aunt Mia?" The woman laughed. "Oh, you mean anemia. Poor thing, how long was his last dosage?"

"Two years ago," Larten looked down at the tile flooring of the office. "I took him on as my own and did not think about his needs at the time. It was selfish, I realize that now." He looked up at her sympathetic gaze. "Is it too late for me to save him?"

The woman shook her head and handed him a bag full of medicine. "No, I don't think so. This is all of the medicine I have for it. Have him take one every day. I'll make sure I always have some on stock for you in case he runs out soon."

Larten smiled and took the medicine. "Thank you, my dear."

"No problem, Larten."

They stared at each other for a minute before Larten sighed deeply and itched at his scar awkwardly. "Did Slyva die happy?"

The woman thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think so. Grandma was always happy towards the end. She forgave you, you know that."

Larten nodded and gestured to the bag. "Yes, I believe so. Now, I do have to go back to him-"

"Of course, Larten. I'll see you soon."

He nodded and gently hugged her before disappearing.

When he returned to camp, Darren was still alive. Mr. Crepsley felt like jumping with joy at that, but he had to get him the medicine before he was to celebrate. It was a close call that he had made it back so soon, his burns were proof of that, but he was still on the verge of dying. If the medicine wasn't going to work, the vampire would be in need of a new assistant very soon.

But luck was on their side when days after taking a pill or two proved to be working. Darren's normal skintone was slowly coming back, his eyes no longer looked like they were punched through, and he was able to eat once more. Unfortunately, he decided to eat his favorite type of cereal, and his mentor was tempted to smack him upside the ear for that.

"Vampires do not eat cereal, Darren."

"Most of them, and that's because they're scared of dying!"

"What are you blabbering on about? No vampire died from eating that garbage."

"Then what about Count Chocula?" The boy smiled at his mentor.

Larten looked at him confused, but scoffed a second later and looked at the campfire. "When we go to the doctor next for a check up on you, I will be sure to ask them to check if you are deranged or just stupid."

Darren laughed.

Larten did in fact, keep his promise about taking Darren to the doctor and every time they were near or in a city, he would take him in, explain they were traveling and lost all of their belongings, and desperately needed more medicine for the young boy. He would get a check up just as a caution, and more medicine. As a bonus, because they usually looked like they were dragged upside a mountain, they would get everything for free.

Darren complained about going to the doctor and refused to go on his own, claiming he was fine and had medicine to last him plenty. Mr. Crepsley was not about to take the risk on it and forced him to go every time, threatening him with the promise of the sun setting eventually.

This continued for years, even in vampire mountain he was coerced to take his daily dose of pills. The younger secretly appreciated everything his mentor did for him, especially because of the fact that the vampire still didn't understand what was going on with his blood. Even after it was explained to him by countless doctors, he didn't understand why humans are weak enough for that to happen, but were strong enough to continue living with it.

Except one thing still bothered him more than anything else.

"Mr. Crepsley, you never answered my question from before."

"Oh? And what question would that be, Master Shan?"

"How did you know my real name?"

The vampire smirked and scratched his old scar. "Your mother told me."

The young boy laughed and lightly pushed his mentor back, claiming that he had cheated all those years ago. The vampire shoved him back, too hard, and he fell into the dirt. "Do not push a vampire, Darren. For they will always push back," was the reply Darren received with a smirk on the scarred face.

Years had passed, he went under the purge, stopped a traitor, gotten along with his father like mentor, and became best friends with a ghost brought back from the dead. After all the appointments and bags of medicine that they had gotten together, it was a few months after he ran out completely of the small tablets he desperately needed before he felt the symptoms of the disease again. It was exactly like when his mentor forgot to get him some after turning him. He was too depressed to actually feel anything, but when he actually did, he told Harkat that he needed to get some more.

With a dreary heart, he went up to the white counter at a hospital the nearby town where the Cirque was stationed at. Harkat waited outside the hospital, not even bothering to go in. He knew that Mr. Crepsley and Darren had always gone in together and this was hard enough on Darren without having to come up with an excuse for the little person with a cloak over him.

"Excuse me?"

The lady at the counter looked up. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"I lost everything when I was travelling and have anemia. I don't have my medicine and need more." He said in an attempt to appear emotional. It was better than what he expected, because the woman at the counter gave a pitiful smile and began filling in information.

"Okay, how old are you?"

"About eighteen."

"In the case, we need a parent or guardian signature. Where're your parents?"

"I lost my dad a while ago."


End file.
